A series of electrical and mechanical issues recently found with the aircraft has caused quite the media ruckus and is chipping away at passengers’ confidence. The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday that it is conducting a comprehensive review of the 787’s design and production — expediting and legitimizing the traveling public’s anxiety.

Stakeholders and U.S. transportation administrators insist that safety is their top priority, but bureaucratic reassurance does little to ease the minds of Coloradans who are looking to ride aboard the Dreamliner starting March 31. United has repeatedly said that the 787 is the only plane that will service the Denver-to-Tokyo route beginning March 31 and people are beginning to wonder, “Should I be worried?”

I asked Mike Boyd, an airline analyst and consultant, some of the questions that other people have been asking me. I’ve posted segments of his responses below — trimmed for length:

PAINTER: So, the Dreamliner has had some issues the past three days.BOYD: Fire, fuel leaks, brakes.

PAINTER: Is this a normal level of problems for a new aircraft or should we be concerned?BOYD: Every new airplane has glitches, and the glitches are more obvious with any airplane that is a technological leap. Look at the 747 — it had major problems with it.
I was through the Boeing factory a few months ago and that plane is going to be a game-changer.

PAINTER: Is there any chance that United may delay the start of this new (Denver-to-Tokyo) route until the glitches are smoothed out?BOYD: United put off flying to Lagos, Nigeria for the time being, but the Denver-Tokyo route is not a challenging route.
It has been through a couple of rough first downs but it’s going to be ok.

PAINTER: Would you get on a 787 right now?BOYD: In a New York second, yes. You’re not going to be on a safer airplane. They’re going to have such an abundance of caution, that if the toilet doesn’t flush they may divert somewhere. It’s the safest thing in the sky.

PAINTER: When do you think they will get these kind of problems worked out?BOYD: They’re never totally worked out on any airplane. The kind like this, you’re talking probably a couple of months. It’s what I like to call the George McGovern principle: airplanes always screw up on a slow news day.

PAINTER: Is there any chance that United (Airlines) might change aircraft or delay the start of the Denver-to-Toyko flight?BOYD: I wouldn’t be surprised if United had another 787 hiding in a hangar just for this route. This is very high profile. It’s also critically important to United because United is not the biggest carrier in Denver, Southwest has edged them out (in terms of passengers flying through Denver as either the origin or destination city).

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It is worth remembering that United began flying the Dreamliner from Los Angeles-to-Tokyo two weeks ago, and two Japanese airlines have been flying trans-Pacific routes with the aircraft for nearly 15 months.

While the conversation with an industry insider like Boyd is reassuring, I’m sure that the completion of the FAA review — and the first 787 landing safely in Denver from Tokyo — will help calm concerns of the skittish air traveler.